


We Go Together

by Augustus



Category: Grease (movie)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-17
Updated: 2005-12-17
Packaged: 2018-01-25 05:10:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1633250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Augustus/pseuds/Augustus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some things never change. (Danny/Kenickie)<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	We Go Together

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Derry

 

 

Credits: Thanks to my best mate for the read-through.  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Grease universe or any of the characters who live within it. However, if someone were to stuff a Kenickie in my Christmas stocking, I certainly wouldn't complain.

* * *

#### 1.  
January 1960

Danny's fingers drummed an impatient beat on the tabletop between us. 'This is big, Kenickie. This is huge.'

I sipped my milkshake, digging a crumpled packet of cigarettes out of my pocket and pushing them towards him.

'Light?' he asked, tapping his cigarette on the Formica as though grateful for the distraction. His fingers brushed mine as he took my lighter, his face disappearing briefly behind a soaring jet of flame. 'Huge,' he muttered again, a thin stream of smoke seeping from between his lips.

I lit a cigarette of my own, waiting for Danny to speak. If he'd wanted talkative concern, he'd be with Sandy right now, not sitting across from me, staring at the tip of his cigarette as it slowly formed a tower of ash. Sandy was into sharing and communication; she just didn't understand that sometimes a smoke and a hamburger were what a guy really needed. Then again, Sandy didn't understand a lot of things. Chicks never did.

'Remember that time you thought you'd got Rizzo knocked up?' Danny asked suddenly.

I nodded. 'That was... intense.' A thought occurred to me. 'You don't mean Sandy's...?'

Danny laughed, the nervous snicker that I'd heard too many times to mistake it for anything real. 'At least if she _were_ PG I'd have an excuse.'

Curiosity got the better of me. Cool stoicism can only stretch so far. 'An excuse for _what_?'

'Proposing.' Danny looked up from his cigarette, his eyes wide with badly disguised panic.

'You...' I let the rest of the sentence hang in the air, draining my soda bottle as the full implications of his comment began to sink in. 'Uh, congratulations, I guess.'

'Congratulations?' he repeated, his mouth twisting into a wry smile. 'What have I _done_ , Kenickie?'

I shrugged. 'I guess you had a sudden urge to go all respectable-like.'

That only seemed to make things worse. 'Danny Zuko doesn't _do_ respectable,' he announced loudly, adjusting the collar of his jacket as his gaze flicked around the diner, as though challenging anyone to dare to contradict him.

'The evidence seems to be against that.' I leant across the table, looking him in the eye. 'You marry Sandy Olsson and before you know it you'll be selling your wheels to buy a lawnmower and a tin of whitewash for your new picket fence.'

'Don't be— Fuck!' he shouted, dropping the remains of his cigarette into the ashtray between us and shaking his hand in front of his mouth as he blew on his fingers. 'Goddamned thing _burnt_ me!'

I watched him for a moment, eyebrows raised. 'You're a mess.'

'I'm nothing of the sort,' he protested, then dropped forward to bury his face in his crossed arms, his nose almost touching the tabletop. 'You're right,' he muttered gloomily, his voice muffled by the leather of his jacket. 'I _am_ a mess... and it's all _her_ fault.'

'You're the one who asked her, Zuke.'

'It was the _pressure_! You don't understand what it was like. Every time I saw her, "what are your intentions?". Every time we... well, _you know_ , "when are you going to make an honest woman of me?" It got to the stage where we couldn't see a kid on the street without her giving me a _look_ and dropping frickin' _hints_. They wear you down, Kenick.' He ran a hand through his hair, his jaw twitching. 'They wear you down.'

'Rizzo didn't'

'Rizzo is _not_ a normal chick.'

I shrugged. 'There oughta be more like her, I reckon.'

'If only Sandy was.'

'Can't you just...' I struggled to find the words. 'I don't know... tell her you didn't mean it, maybe?'

'She's already picking bridesmaids.' Danny shuddered. 'I'm meant to be asking you what Rizzo's thoughts are on wearing peach.'

'Peach? I don't even know what that _is_.'

'Search me. Got another cigarette?' I passed him the packet and he lit up before speaking again. 'Maybe I just need to resign myself to it. Marriage happens to the best of us. If it wasn't her, it would have been some other chick.'

'That's a strange way to look at it.'

'I'm no romantic.'

Looking at him, one eyebrow raised, I smirked. 'Sure, Zuke.'

For a moment, he looked like he was going to protest, but nothing came of it. 'Whatever I am, it makes sense to be logical about this. I'm going to have to get married _one_ day. No reason why it shouldn't be Sandy.'

'And if you keep saying that, perhaps you'll end up believing it.' I slid my comb out of my back pocket and busied myself with fixing my hair, hoping that the movement would disguise the utter un _cool_ ness of my next words. 'What happened to true love and like... I dunno... kindred spirits and stuff?' I refused to meet his gaze.

'Sandy's not so bad. She doesn't get me like _you_ do, but no chick's ever going to do that.'

I chose my words carefully, still unable to look him in the eye. 'It just seems a little stupid to marry her just because she's second best.'

'Well, I can't exactly marry _you_ , can I?' The nervous laugh was back.

Worried, I looked around, but no one seemed to have heard Danny's words. Lowering my voice, I took another cigarette from the pack, spinning it between my fingers. 'You don't have to marry _Sandy_ , either.'

'I've asked her now. I don't have much choice.'

'There's _always_ a choice.'

'What are you: a guidance counsellor?'

'Watch it, Zuko.'

'Watch it yourself.' He stubbed his cigarette out, watching as the last dying curl of smoke wound towards the ceiling. 'It's done now, Kenickie,' he went on. 'I guess I'll be needing a best man...'

I forced a smile. 'Guess you will.'

Reaching across the table, he slapped me on the shoulder. 'You'll look great in a tux.'

'So will you, Danny.' That was the trouble. He would.

* * *

#### 2.  
September 1948

'Swap you Bob Feller for your Bob Elliott?' The scrawny boy in front of me stood with his hands thrust deep in his pockets, a peculiar backward slope to his body emphasising his scarred and scabbed knees.

Doody snickered and poked me with his elbow. 'It's the new kid, Danny.'

'I can _see_ that.' I rolled my eyes at Doody before nodding to the newcomer, indicating that he should join our circle on the ground. 'You're not just making it up? You've really got a Bob Feller?'

His face serious, he nodded, producing a card from his pocket and placing it, face-up, on the concrete. It was in perfect condition: no dirty fingerprints or scratches on the face like you'd get with one of Sonny's doubles.

'Deal.' I pushed the Elliott towards him. 'The name's Danny. What's yours again?'

He opened his mouth, but then closed it again, as though he'd changed his mind about how to answer. 'Most people just call me Kenickie,' he said after a pause.

'Kenickie?' Sonny stared at him as if he'd just admitted to murder. 'What sort of name is that?'

'What sort of name is _Sonny_?' I retorted, before turning my attention back to the new boy. 'Don't mind him. He's never been the same since his mama told him the truth about Santa Claus. Got any more doubles?'

He shrugged. 'At home.'

'Bring them tomorrow.'

Kenickie raised an eyebrow at that directive, obviously not used to taking orders from kids his own age. 'Do you have anything worth swapping?'

I pulled a handful of cards out of the rear pocket of my shorts, flicking through them before picking one out of the pack and holding it out. 'How about a Sain to go with your Elliott?'

He took the card from me, assessing its condition before handing it back. 'I'll bring the doubles tomorrow.'

Nodding, I shoved the cards back into my pocket. 'It's about time we had some new blood around here,' I said, my words as close to a welcome as he was ever likely to get. 'Four's better than three when it comes to swaps.'

Sonny and Doody nodded stupidly from either side of me.

'Danny's got the best collection this side of Wrigley Field,' Sonny piped up. 'You should see the older kids lining up to see his Babe Ruths.'

I grinned. 'They hate it. Can't stand the idea of a seven year old having cards they can only dream about.'

Kenickie seemed genuinely interested for the first time, looking me in the eye. 'How'd you get your hands on those?'

'My father used to collect them. Passed them all on to me when he got back from the war.'

Kenickie stared down at the Elliott that still lay on the ground in front of him. 'Wish mine did that,' he said softly.

Doody opened his mouth, but I punched him in the arm, silencing him. I was no great reader of people, but even _I_ could tell the new kid wasn't talking about the cards.

Before I could say anything, the bell rang to signal the end of lunch. Sonny and Doody jumped to their feet, but Kenickie and I both took our time. Finally, someone else who understood that it just wasn't cool to run to class.

'Where'd you transfer from?' I asked him as we slowly made our way towards the school building.

'Washington Elementary.' He was spinning the Elliott in one hand, eyes on the swirl of colour that the movement formed. 'We had to move.'

'Because of your...' I didn't finish the sentence, not sure how to say the words.

He shook his head, but when he looked at me, his eyes were grateful. 'Mum's got a job at the bank up the road. She's going to be the manager's own personal secretary. Things like that, you just don't pass up.'

I nodded. 'So you'll be sticking around for a while?'

'That's the plan.'

I slapped him on the back as I followed him through the double doors that led to the main hall of the school, the warmth of the building feeling almost suffocating after the brisk fall air outside. 'I reckon you and me could _rule_ this place between us.'

He stopped walking and turned to look at me, a long calculating glance that made him seem far older than he rightfully should have. After a long pause, he smiled. 'I reckon we could.'

* * *

#### 3.  
May 1953

'Danny, you've kissed girls before, right?'

He shrugged. ''Course I have. Why?'

I kept my gaze on the black and white flicker of the television as Lucy Ricardo took the stage at the Tropicana, dressed as an Indian squaw. 'Annie Hopkins said she'd let me treat her to a milkshake tomorrow after school.'

'Annie Hopkins?' Danny pushed his homework to one side, grinning. 'Not bad, Kenickie. Not bad at all!'

'The thing is,' I continued, as though he hadn't spoken, 'Annie's been on dates with a _heap_ of boys.'

Danny snickered. 'I would've thought that was the whole point.'

Tearing my eyes away from the television, I glared at him. 'I asked her because I think she's pretty.'

'And you're worried because you think she's going to want you to kiss her?' Still smiling, he came over to join me on the sofa. 'I thought you said you'd kissed that girl you met on holidays last summer.'

I picked at a loose thread on the hem of my tee shirt. 'On the cheek,' I admitted, quickly adding, 'but I did it _twice_.'

'Sure you did.' Obviously struggling to keep a straight face, Danny patted me on the arm. 'Tongues and all.'

I pushed his hand away. 'Don't be stupid.' I was already beginning to wish I'd never brought it up. 'What time are your parents due home, anyway?'

'Don't change the subject. So, Annie Hopkins, eh? You never said you were into her.' Danny leant back, crossing his arms behind his head and looking at me expectantly, awaiting an explanation.

I shrugged. There wasn't really that much to it. 'I guess I never really thought about her before. It's just a milkshake, Zuke. It's not like I'm going steady with her or anything.'

He nodded, appeased. 'What's the problem, then?'

'Well...' I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly self-conscious. Danny wasn't one to poke fun, at least not when it came to me, but I still didn't like admitting that he had something over me. 'How d'you do it?' I asked finally, the words all coming out in a rush. 'I don't want her to think I've never kissed a girl before.'

He didn't reply immediately. I returned my attention to the television just as the 'I Love Lucy' theme signalled the end of the program, the familiar credits filling the screen. Mum would be expecting me home soon, but I could stay a little longer if I ran the four blocks from Danny's house.

'It's kinda hard to explain,' Danny said finally, fidgeting in his seat. 'You just, sort of _kiss_ them.'

'Gee _thanks_ ,' I retorted, rolling my eyes. 'That's really helpful.'

Siting up a little straighter and turning to face me, he gave me an apologetic look. 'Maybe I haven't kissed that many girls myself...'

'But you said—'

'On the cheek.' He had the nerve to grin at me, his eyes bright with mischief.

'Right then.' A terrible thought occurred to me. 'That means I'm going to look like a complete _nerd_ tomorrow night.'

'Can't you just practice on a pillow or something?' His smile widened, obviously amused by the thought. 'That's what my sister does.'

'I'm not going to do that! Are you _crazy_?'

Danny raised his hands in surrender. 'You're the one who brought it up.'

'Kissing pillows?'

'Well, no,' he admitted, 'but you have to admit, it does make sense to practice.'

'Maybe so, but how's a pillow going to let you know whether you're getting it right?'

'True.' He thought for a moment. 'Well, you'll just have to kiss _me_ , then.'

I stared at him, unsure how to reply to a statement like that. 'But you're a boy,' I said finally, stating the obvious for want of anything else to say.

'So? It's just practice.' He scooted around on the sofa so that he was facing me, his legs crossed. 'Go on then,' he said lightly, closing his eyes. 'Kiss me and I'll tell you how bad you are.'

'But—'

Eyes snapping open, he cut me off. 'Look, do you want Annie to know you've never kissed a girl properly before?'

I sighed. 'No.'

'Well then?'

Frowning, I leant towards him, pursing my lips and keeping my arms firmly at my sides. Danny had closed his eyes again, but I kept mine open, sure that I'd miss his mouth altogether if I didn't. Our lips pressed briefly together before I quickly pulled away, my heart pounding accusatively in my chest.

Danny opened his eyes, looking distinctly unimpressed. 'Was that it?'

I nodded.

'I've been given better kisses by my _aunts_!' Shaking his head, he rolled up his sleeves, then cracked his knuckles loudly. 'Do I have to do _everything_ myself? Shut your eyes.'

I did as I was told, tensing as I felt Danny's hands tighten around my shoulders, holding me in place so that I couldn't have pulled away, even if I'd wanted to. I contemplated whether I could get away with sneaking a quick glance from beneath my eyelashes, but before I could do anything about it, Danny's mouth was pressed firmly against mine, his grasp on my shoulders loosening as he caught me with his lips instead.

For a long moment, we stayed frozen as we were. I desperately wanted to swallow, but didn't dare risk doing so, just in case Danny could feel it. Instead, I let my arms circle his waist as he leant in closer, pressing against me so that I could feel his heart beat as it formed a counter rhythm to my own. His lips parted slightly, seeming to fit perfectly around my own and for a second it seemed as though I could feel the tip of his tongue, before the sensation faded and I was left only with the feel of his thumb rubbing softly against my neck and the warmth of his breath upon my cheek.

The sound of tyres on the gravel of the Zukos' driveway broke us apart. For the first time I'd ever witnessed, Danny was blushing.

'Uh, yeah. I'm sure you'll be fine,' he said, jumping up and moving back over to where his homework lay, abandoned, on the floor, pausing to turn off the television on his way.

I watched as Red Buttons' face shrank into a tiny white dot in the middle of the screen then disappeared entirely. 'Fine?' I asked, confused.

'With Annie.'

I thought for a moment. ' _Oh_!' I grinned sheepishly. 'Yeah, Annie. That's right.'

Standing, I grabbed my jacket from the back of the sofa, greeting Danny's parents as they poked their heads into the lounge to say hello. 'We're never going to mention this again, are we?' I asked once they were gone.

He frowned down at his homework. 'Never.'

I nodded, feeling awkward around him for the first time in five years. 'See you at school tomorrow, then, I guess.'

Danny's gaze remained on the open book in front of him. 'Yeah, I guess.'

I turned to leave, but at the last moment I spun around to face him once more. 'Thanks, Zuke.'

This time he actually met my eyes, his mouth stretching into a slow smile. He didn't speak, but somehow I knew that things were going to be okay.

* * *

#### 4.  
July 1959

Sandy wrapped her arms around my neck from behind, stretching to press a quick kiss to my lips before ruffling the back of my hair and stepping away. 'You'll pick me up at eight, then?' she asked, her voice thick with barely hidden insinuation.

I turned awkwardly in my seat. 'Sure. Eight.'

She smirked. It was amazing how quickly the expression had begun to look so natural on her face. 'Don't keep me waiting, Danny...' Raising her hand in a half-wave, she walked away, her hips swaying.

'Don't keep her waiting, Danny!' Sonny mimicked, the moment she was out of earshot.

Kenickie reached across the table to slap the side of his head. 'Shut it, Sonny. You want to show some respect?'

'I ain't got no respect for Sandy,' he sniggered.

'Watch it.' I allowed my glare to deliver the rest of the sentiment.

'I know she's your girl and all, Danny,' Putzie said, 'but don't you think she's been acting awfully strange, lately? Ever since the graduation carnival she's been all...' He trailed off, looking to Doody for moral support.

'Remember when you were with Cha Cha?' Doody moved out of Kenickie's reach, obviously not wanting to attract Sonny's fate. 'People say the same stuff about Sandy these days.'

'She makes Rizzo look good,' Sonny chipped in, ducking as Kenickie proved that his left hand was just as quick as his right.

'Look,' I said firmly, aware that they weren't saying anything that wasn't common knowledge, but feeling as though I had to defend Sandy nonetheless. 'So she's lightened up a little. That's no reason to go 'round speaking trash about her behind her back.'

'Don't you mind, though?' Putzie asked timidly.

'Mind what?'

'All the stuff people are saying.' Putzie shrugged. 'I guess I just wouldn't want to know people were saying those sort of things about Jan.'

'I don't think you'll ever have to worry about _that_ ,' Kenickie reassured him, raising an eyebrow at me, the corner of his mouth twisting into a slight smile.

'Sandy's no Cha Cha,' I added. 'She just looks a little different these days, that's all.'

'She _acts_ a little different too.' Doody reached over to grab a french fry from my plate, snatching his hand away before I could protest.

I frowned. 'I would've thought you guys would prefer her this way.'

' _We're_ not the ones she's putting out for!' Sonny pushed back his chair and leapt away in time to evade Kenickie's grasp. 'See you, fellas. Gotta be somewhere else!' Grinning, he ran from the diner as Kenickie feinted getting to his feet.

'Remind me why we let him stick around?' Kenickie shook his head, then reached into his pocket, producing a battered packet of cigarettes and dropping it on the table before patting his other pockets in search of his lighter.

'Because he makes the rest of us look good.' I took the cigarette he offered me, leaning back in my chair once it had been lit. 'Seriously though, guys, Sandy's not so different now.'

'No more different than you lettering in track, right Danny?' Kenickie looked amused. 'If you both have to try so hard, perhaps it ain't worth the hassle.'

'It's not like we're getting married or anything.' I inhaled deeply, holding the smoke in until it began to burn the back of my throat. 'We're just having some fun.'

'Does Sandy know that?'

I shrugged. 'Sure she does.' We'd never spoken about it, but it wasn't a lie unless I knew it to be untrue.

'Well, the important thing is that _you_ like the new Sandy better,' Putzie said.

I smiled weakly.

'Remember that time Frenchy died her hair blonde? I told her I liked it that way but, really, I thought it looked a bit strange.' Doody drained his glass before speaking again. 'You _do_ like her better now, don't you, Danny?'

'Sure I do.' I laughed nervously. 'What guy wouldn't?'

Doody and Putzie both raised their hands, as Kenickie rolled his eyes.

'You've just gotta know when to give up,' he said around a mouthful of hamburger, ignoring the other two and talking directly to me. 'If it _stops_ being fun?' He shrugged. 'That's when you tell her goodbye, new look or not.'

'Does Rizzo know you go around giving people advice like that?' I asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Me and Rizz know where we stand. She's going away to college in the fall and neither of us is the letter writing type.'

I hadn't realised they'd actually talked things through. It made sense, though. I might even have tried it myself if it wasn't for one important thing.

'Sandy's found a job at that dress shop on Third. She's not going anywhere.'

'All the more reason to make sure you're not getting in any deeper than you want,' Kenickie argued, blowing a thick stream of smoke into the air as though to punctuate his point.

'Yeah, who needs chicks anyway when you've got us!' Doody grinned, sliding back his chair and getting to his feet.

'Does Jan count?' Putzie asked, frowning, as he followed suit. 'I mean, she's one of us too, right.'

'Sure she counts! She's a chick, isn't she?'

I watched in amusement as they made their way over to the counter to pay. 'You coming?' I asked Kenickie.

He shook his head. 'I think I'll stick around.' Frowning, he stubbed out the remains of his cigarette before meeting my eyes. 'Besides, you've got to meet Sandy tonight.'

I snorted. 'Yeah. On time.'

A slight smile twitched at the corners of his lips. 'Exactly. You don't want to be late; she might decide to go out with someone else.'

I chose to ignore the insinuation behind his words. 'Well, if that happens I'll come back here and find you, I guess.'

Kenickie's face was impossible to read. 'I'll be here.'

* * *

#### 5.  
September 1960

The Wedding March began to play as I adjusted my bow tie for the eleventh time. I looked like someone's father in the suit I'd been forced to wear, but I supposed that was part and parcel of being in a wedding party. As the flower girl walked through the double doors of the church and slowly began to make her way up the aisle, Danny began to fidget at my side.

'It's about time they got a new song,' he muttered under his breath, a fake smile still fixed upon his face.

'It's tradition,' I whispered. 'People expect it.'

'People can kiss my—' He stopped speaking abruptly as the minister gave him a horrified look.

'Guys!' Putzie hissed from my other side, a pleading tone to his voice.

We fell silent, both turning to watch as the bridesmaids started to enter the church. I couldn't help but snicker at the expression on Rizzo's face as she desperately tried to look cool and unimpressed despite the hindrance of her marshmallow dress. Catching my eye, she glared at me and promptly messed up her steps.

The bride looked beautiful, even if I couldn't say I liked her frilled and beaded dress. She said her vows with awe and conviction and, when Putzie lifted up her veil to kiss her, Jan's smile was so bright that it made her entire face glow.

Afterwards, I sat next to Danny at the bridal table while he picked at a bridesmaid's discarded corsage.

'Do you wish it was you?'

He looked up, saw me watching him, and smiled. 'Hell no.'

'I've always wondered whether I talked you out of something you really wanted to do,' I admitted. 'Standing there today, watching those two together...' I shrugged. 'It must've been hard.'

'Hard?' Shaking his head, Danny pushed the corsage aside, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder with one hand. 'I was standing there thanking every deity ever dreamed of that it was Putzie up there, not me. You did _good_ , Kenickie. Thank you.'

I looked down at his hand, tanned dark brown by a summer of fixing cars in the sun. 'A guy's gotta look out for his friends,' I said slowly, watching as Danny's thumb traced the join of my sleeve.

'Not interrupting anything, am I?' Rizzo smiled broadly as she dropped into the seat beside Danny, fanning her face. 'It's an oven on the dance floor.'

'Hey, Rizz.' Danny smiled subconsciously, snatching his hand away and quickly picking up his glass in order to hide the noticeable quiver of his fingers.

'No Sandy, I see,' Rizzo observed.

She'd arrived at the reception with a bespectacled college-type, who'd been following her around all night like an insecure puppy. The initial pang of jealousy had quickly faded into amusement as I'd watched her basking in his unfettered attention. Her smile seemed larger and more natural than I'd ever seen it before, overcoming even her obvious annoyance at being forced to wear endless layers of yellow taffeta.

'Jan invited her.' Danny exchanged a glance with me. 'She decided not to come.'

Rizzo was too observant to miss the look that had passed between us. 'So the rumours are _true_ then,' she said, almost to herself.

Danny looked surprised. 'You haven't heard from Sandy?'

'Sandy and I ain't exactly the _bestest_ of friends,' she said dryly. 'Besides, I'm not the letter writing type.'

'We broke up in March.'

'And you've been single since then?' Rizzo raised an eyebrow, smirking at him as though she didn't believe him capable of such a thing. 'That must be some kind of _record_ for the famous Danny Zuko.'

He flashed a quick glance towards me before replying. 'It's not so hard.'

'Hm.' Rizzo watched him for a moment, her eyes narrowed, before giving up and turning to me. 'How about a dance?' She nodded towards the dance floor. 'For old time's sake.'

I looked over at the tangle of formal-clad bodies, grinning as Doody backed Frenchy right into the circle of Jan's mother's arms. 'No thanks, Rizz.' I turned to give her an apologetic smile. 'I think I'll just stick around here for a while.'

'I would've thought you boys saw enough of each other at the garage every day.' She shook her head. 'But then again, it always _was_ impossible to tear the two of you apart.' Getting to her feet, she patted Danny on the shoulder. 'Sandy never really understood that. I tried to tell her once, but you know what she was like.' Rizzo rolled her eyes, staring into space as she recalled the conversation. 'She thought all she needed to do was change. Not the brightest leaf in the book.' She grinned at me then gave Danny a quick cuff over the ear. 'That's for womankind!'

The boyfriend appeared as though from nowhere as Rizzo made her way back towards the dance floor. I watched her fondly as she took his arm and led him over to the most visible part of the room.

Less impressed, Danny rubbed his ear. 'What was _that_ for?'

'Best not to ask, I think.'

He watched me closely. 'Do you wish it was you?'' he asked, repeating my own question.

Shaking my head, I smiled. 'That's history.'

Danny looked away, glancing at the dance floor for a moment before fixing his gaze on the champagne that half-filed the glass he was toying with. 'Where do we go from here?' he asked finally, his voice barely audible.

'Why go anywhere?'

He frowned. 'What about respectability?'

I nudged him with my knee. 'Danny Zuko doesn't _do_ respectable,' I said, using his own words against him.

Looking up, he met my eyes. After a long moment, he smiled. 'You better believe it.' He patted his pockets, then swore. 'Got a cigarette?'

I grinned. 'Always.'

He grabbed the packet from me and nodded towards the door. 'Think they'd miss us?'

'Who cares?'

'You're the best man.'

I raised a hand in a gesture of dismissal. 'We'll be back in time for the speeches. Besides, the best man's practically expected to disappear at least once during the night.'

Standing, Danny grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. 'Yeah, but you're meant to disappear with the head bridesmaid, not one of the groomsmen.'

'I'm not interested in second best,' I muttered, thinking back to a conversation that had occurred many months ago.

'Neither am I.'

I stared at him for a long moment then pulled him close for a tight, almost desperate hug. 'Took you long enough, Zuke,' I muttered before we broke apart, brushing down our tuxes, and running combs through our hair.

On the dance floor, Jan was snorting with laughter as Putzie swung her in circles, her veil swinging in a wide arc around her head. I pushed open the church hall door, casting a glance back towards the rest of our friends as I ushered Danny outside. Sonny moved as though to follow us, but Rizzo caught him by the back of his collar, shaking her head.

Outside, the air smelled like falling leaves, but when Danny's hand brushed mine as he took my lighter, it felt a lot more like spring.

_~fin~_

 


End file.
